1. Topic 6 - The Investors in People award
Textbook pages 84–89

2. Learning outcomes By the end of the topic learners will know:
How the award is managed in the UK
Eligibility
How organisations achieve the award
Potential benefits of the award.

3. The Investors in People Award
Investors in People is the National Standard, setting out a level of good practise for training and development of people to achieve the goals of the organisation they work for.

4. Investors in People Developed in 1990
Partnership between the National Training Task Force, Leading National Businesses, Confederation of Business Industry (CBI), Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD) and the Employment Department

5. The Standard
… provides “a national framework for improving business performance and competitiveness, through a planned approach to setting and communicating business objectives and developing people to meet these objectives”

6. Key Principles The Four Key Principles of the IIP Standard:
Commitment – invest in people to achieve business goals, i.e. give them more training
Planning – show how the training will be done
Action – show how any action will move the organisation towards its goals
Evaluation – checking that what was planned has been achieved

7. Indicators and Evidence
Principles
Indicators
Evidence
Commitment
An Investor in People is fully committed to developing its people in order to meet its aims and objectives
The organisation is committed to supporting the development of its people
Management can describe strategies that they have put in place to support the development of people in order to improve the organisations performance
Planning
An Investor in People is clear about its aims and its objectives, and what its people need to do to achieve them
The organisation has a plan, with clear aims and objectives that are understood by everyone
People can consistently explain the aims and objectives of the organisation at a level appropriate to their role and are consulted about the aims and objectives
Action
An Investor in People develops its people in order to improve its performance
Managers are effective in support the development of people
The organisation makes sure that managers have the knowledge and skills they need to develop their people
Evaluation
An Investor in People understands the impact of its investment in people on its performance
The development of people improves the performance of the organisation, teams and individuals
The organisation can show that the development of people has improved the performance of the organisation, teams and individuals

8. Who is Eligible?
Any organisation with more than 5 people on the Staff can apply

9. How to Achieve the Award
Whoever is leading the project must:
Understand the Standard and its strategic implications for the organisation
Undertake a review against the Standard, to identify any gaps in current practise
Make the commitment to meet the Standard and communicate that commitment to all the staff
Plan and take action, to bring about change
Bring together to evidence for assessment against the Standard
Application form fro their local Quality Centre
Provide specific organisational data
Assessor Visits

10. The practical benefits of working towards and achieving the Standard
Improved Earnings, Productivity and Profitability Skilled and motivated people work harder and better, improving productivity.
Customer Satisfaction Investors in People is central to helping employees become customer focused, enabling organisations to effectively meet customer needs.
Improved Motivation Motivation is improved through employees’ greater involvement, personal development and recognition of their achievements. This leads to higher morale, improved retention rates, reduced absenteeism, readier acceptance of change, and identification with the organisation’s goals beyond the confines of the job.
Reduced Costs and Wastage Skilled and motivated people constantly examine their work to contribute towards reducing costs and wastage.
Enhanced Quality Investing in people significantly improves the results of quality programmes. Investors in People adds considerable value to The Excellence Model, ISO 9000, BS 5750 and other total quality initiatives.
Competitive Advantage Through Improved Performance Investor in People organisations develop a competitive edge.
Public Recognition Investor in People status brings public recognition for real achievements measured against a rigorous National Standard. Being an Investor in People helps to attract the best quality job applicants. It may also provide a reason for customers to choose specific goods and services.